TO THE EDITOR:

This is in regards to the front-page article ("Humana settles doctors' lawsuit," Oct. 24). There are 4,000 doctors going to share $100 million over three years paid by 400,000 covered subscribers. If my math is correct, that means about $30 million per year (let's make it $40 million to make the math easier). In other words, there is about $10,000 per doctor per year additional reimbursement. That is sure to keep a lot of doctors in Cincinnati and make them change their minds. It also means $100 per year more in premiums for the 400,000 subscribers.

To help administer that, the insurer will probably have to raise the rate about $150 per year, making a cool $20 million per year profit for the insurer on this settlement.

So everyone wins: The insurer comes out ahead; the lawyers get $6 million in cash; the doctors are sure to be overjoyed and it's only going to cost the subscriber another $150 dollars per year. Thank God for lawyers.

Peter Ulbrich, Anderson Township

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Bush has been honest about war's purpose

President Bush's own words are the best response to the letter ["Pay more attention to things not said," Oct. 24], which was in response to a syndicated column by Jonah Goldberg ["What nobody ever said," Oct. 19]. The president, in his 2003 State of the Union Address, preceding the attack on Iraq, said the following: "Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike? If this threat were permitted to fully and suddenly emerge, all actions and all recriminations would come too late. Trusting in the sanity and restraint of Saddam Hussein is not a strategy and it is not an option."

That message was nationally televised and widely reported in the press. It enunciated a new United States policy of preemptive military action without waiting for an imminent threat. The letter writer may disagree with that policy; but he should not be accusing our president of misleading us about these reasons and his intentions. The president has been extremely forthright and honest.

Benjamin Gettler, Mount Adams

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Negative campaigns deserve to be ignored

To borrow a phrase from Martin Luther King, Jr., I too "have a dream" that someday we can have political campaigns where the distributed literature has only positive intentions of desired goals and accomplishments of politicians, rather than have to digest negative accusations and untruths about the opposing party before we throw the garbage where it belongs - in the can.

Pat Lapple, Reading

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Headline distorted poll data on Bush

An old saying is frequently demonstrated in newspaper headlines: "Statistics don't lie, but liars make statistics." A story on page A5 ["College voters back Bush, but trust falls," Oct. 23] demonstrates how headlines writers use statistics to lie. The story states that "Sixty-one percent approved of the job Bush is doing ..." But about one-third of those college students who responded also said their trust in Bush has gone down over the past year ..."

Of course, you have to untwist these statistics to see the hidden truth they contain: Sixty-one percent approved of the job President Bush is doing, and about two-thirds reported no loss of trust in him.

Nick Noel, Springfield Township

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Gas price fixing is a bad practice

Unless the law has changed, price fixing is still illegal. What else can you call what gas station owners are doing other than price fixing? Isn't it amazing that during holidays, special events in the city, etc., the price of gasoline suddenly increases 20 to 30 cents a gallon, and several days later the price just as suddenly drops. Increases during Tall Stacks is a good example of this bad practice.

The price of gasoline should not be the same all over the city, give or take a few cents (price fixing). The price of gasoline should reflect what the station owners paid for it, plus their expenses and a reasonable profit. It's a "gotcha" and the consumer is the victim.

Kathryn L. O'Connell, Blue Ash

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Let Madisonville show its crime-fighting pride

This is in regards to the editorial ("Put up the signs," Oct. 21). Thank you for the editorial, which expressed agreement with those of us in Madisonville who want to have "weed and seed" signs placed at entrances to our community. Many people have been working hard to achieve this designation, and it seems a shame that the traffic department is reluctant to allow us to shout our achievement to the world.

Surely the signs, which have been furnished to Madisonville by the "Weed and Seed" program, are neither gaudy nor huge. They merely point out that persons are entering a "Weed and Seed" community and this community will not tolerate crime.

Citizens of Madisonville are proud of our recent gains against criminal activity. These signs, small though they may be, allow additional penalties to be assessed against those perpetrating crimes. I would like to echo your editorial: "Let the signs go up."

Ruth B. Gumz, Madisonville